Uniqueness of \(BP \langle {n} \rangle\) (Q2012167)

\textit{E. H. Brown} and \textit{F. P. Peterson} [Topology 5, 149--154 (1966; Zbl 0168.44001)] showed that after localization at any prime \(p\), the complex cobordism spectrum \(MU\) splits as an infinite wedge of spectra called \(BP\) by the so-called Quillen idempotents. The coefficient ring of \(BP\) is \[ \pi_* BP = \mathbb Z_{(p)}[v_1,v_2,\ldots, v_i, \ldots], \] where \(|v_i| = 2(p^i -1)\) and \(\mathbb Z_{(p)}\) is the integers localized at \(p\). The \(n\)-truncated Brown-Peterson spectrum \(BP\langle n \rangle\) is constructed by quotienting out by the generators \(v_k\) for \(k\geq n+1\); that is, \[ \pi_* BP\langle n \rangle = \pi_* BP/(v_{n+1}, v_{n+2},\ldots) = \mathbb Z_{(p)}[v_1,v_2,\ldots, v_n]. \] Let \(H^*(-)\) denote the mod \(p\) cohomology as a module over the Steenrod algebra \(\mathcal A\). In this paper, by using the Adams spectral sequence \[ E_2^{s,t} = \text{Ext}_{\mathcal A}^{s,t}(H^*(BP\langle n \rangle), H^*(X)) \Longrightarrow \pi_{t-s} \text{Hom} (X, BP\langle n \rangle_{p}^{\wedge}) \] and a change-of-rings theorem to compute the \(E_2\)-page of the Adams spectral sequence, the authors show that any spectrum \(X\) whose mod \(p\) cohomology \(H^*(X)\) is isomorphic to \(H^*(BP\langle n \rangle)\) as modules over the Steenrod algebra \(\mathcal A\) is weakly homotopy equivalent to the \(p\)-completion of \(BP\langle n \rangle\) as spectra, where \(X\) is bounded below and its homotopy groups are finitely generated over \(\mathbb Z_p\). This theorem generalizes a result of \textit{J. F. Adams} and \textit{S. B. Priddy} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 80, 475--509 (1976; Zbl 0338.55011)] in the case that \(n =1\).